Top 10+1 Unusual Things to Do in Sussex
Sussex wears its quirks proudly. Beyond the photogenic piers and postcard‑ready Downs, there’s an eccentric seam of outsider art, haunted follies, prehistoric chalk figures and a pioneering rewilding project that locals affectionately call the “Sussex Serengeti.” This article gathers 10 + 1 delightfully offbeat ideas for unusual things to do in Sussex, perfect for curious walkers, weekend wanderers, and anyone who enjoys adventures with a side of “wait, what?”.
As you explore, tread lightly. A few of these places are delicate, low‑key or adjacent to private land: stick to public footpaths, respect signs and local residents, and leave no trace. A quiet approach preserves the mystery for the next visitor, and helps these unusual corners of Sussex keep their magic. If that sounds like your cup of tea, read on and join us below as we map out Sussex’s more unusual side.
1. Brighton Flint Grotto (Beach Sculpture)
Why it’s unusual: An ever-evolving, privately tended flint “city” on the shingle, an ephemeral, handmade coastal folk art.
On a quiet stretch of Brighton’s shoreline, a local fisherman has spent years arranging flint and found stone into arches, niches and miniature towers, forming an impromptu sculpture garden that looks like a tiny mythic city when the light turns honey‑gold. The textures of the sea‑smoothed flint catch the evening sun, and the whole thing feels like it has grown organically from the shingle.
You’ll sometimes find the plot fenced or roped; it’s a privately held beach patch, so do admire respectfully from the boundary and avoid clambering. Low tide gives wider viewpoints, and sturdy shoes help on the uneven stones. Bring a camera, but also take a moment to just stand and take it in.
2. The Long Man of Wilmington & the Litlington White Horse
Why it’s unusual: Two giant chalk hill figures you can link by a ridge walk across classic South Downs scenery.
Two chalk figures animate the South Downs like notes on a green score. The Long Man—tall, ambiguous, staff‑bearing—keeps his watch on a steep slope above Wilmington, while the Litlington White Horse cuts a striking silhouette further east. Linking them with a ridge walk turns folklore into footsteps and rewards you with sweeping views over weald and sea.
Please stick to marked trails to protect the fragile chalk grassland, and bring a zoom lens if you’re keen on photographs, as the scale reads best from a little distance. On a clear, blustery day, few places feel more quintessentially Sussex.
3. Mad Jack Fuller’s Follies
Why it’s unusual: A landscape-wide treasure hunt of eccentric 18th–19th-century monuments scattered across fields and lanes.
Eighteenth‑ and nineteenth‑century eccentric John “Mad Jack” Fuller left Brightling scattered with oddities: a pyramid (his tomb), an observatory, a sugar‑loaf cone, a slender “needle” and a tower on a rise. They’re part whimsy, part status symbol, and entirely good fun to seek out on a mini road‑and‑footpath trail.
Start at Brightling church for the pyramid, then fan out on public rights of way to spot the others glinting between hedges and fields. Some follies sit on or near private land, so the game is to admire from paths, pair the hunt with a cosy pub lunch, and imagine the parties that once filled these hills.
4. The “Sussex Serengeti” – Knepp Estate Rewilding Safari
Why it’s unusual: A genuine English safari through rewilded farmland where free-roaming animals shape the landscape.
Knepp is a bold experiment in letting nature lead. Former arable fields have become a wild mosaic of scrub and meadows, where free‑roaming longhorn cattle, Exmoor ponies, deer and pigs do the work of living bulldozers. Guided safaris immerse you in the sounds and surprises of this new‑old landscape, with seasonal highlights that can include white storks wheeling overhead and the quiet industry of beavers after dark.
Paths are rough in places and the joy is in not knowing exactly what you’ll see around the next bramble patch, so come with curiosity, binoculars and layers for the breeze. Tours and hides can book up in peak months, so planning ahead rewards you with a front‑row seat to rewilding in action.
5. St. Clements Caves – “Smugglers Adventure,” Hastings
Why it’s unusual: These smuggling tunnels that were turned into WWII air-raid shelters showcase a history layered and theatrically lit underground.
Cut into the sandstone above Hastings Old Town, these cool, echoing tunnels tell stories of contraband and coastguard cat‑and‑mouse, with atmospheric lighting and set‑pieces that are equal parts history lesson and theatre. During the Second World War, parts of the cave network served as air‑raid shelters, adding another layer to the under‑cliff chronicle.
It’s a brilliant option when the weather turns: temperatures sit on the cooler side year‑round, some passages are narrow underfoot, and the sense of stepping into the underbelly of the coast is deliciously vivid. Pair with fish‑and‑chips and a stroll through the Old Town’s twittens.
6. Weald & Downland Living Museum
Why it’s unusual: It comprises over fifty rescued historic buildings re-erected in one valley, alive with working crafts and hearth smoke.
More than fifty rescued historic buildings—farmhouses, halls, workshops and cottages—have been carefully re‑erected in a sloping valley in West Sussex, creating a walk‑through tapestry of everyday rural life. Timber frames creak, smoke curls from hearths on cool days, and craftspeople bring lost skills to life with the ring of hammer on anvil and the whirr of a pole lathe.
Give yourself a generous half‑day to wander between centuries, talk to the demonstrators and linger over details like wattle‑and‑daub walls or pegged joinery. Fans of feel‑good restoration TV may recognise a certain barn. Everyone else will simply feel time slow down in the best possible way.
7. Racton Monument (Haunted Ruin)
Why it’s unusual: A hollow-eyed 18th-century tower—half folly, half ghost story—best admired from public footpaths.
An atmospheric, hollow‑eyed tower rises from farmland near Racton, an eighteenth‑century shell wrapped in rumour and ghost stories. Whether you come for the history, the views, or a shiver of the uncanny, it’s a striking landmark that makes the surrounding fields feel like a film set when the weather turns moody.
The structure is fragile and sits on or near private land: the best—and safest—experience is from the public footpaths that thread the area. Good boots are handy in wet spells, and twilight adds a little extra theatre to the silhouette.
8. Millennium Seed Bank, Wakehurst
Why it’s unusual: An underground “ark” where you can actually watch global plant conservation happening behind viewing windows.
Beneath a Sussex hillside, glass glints over an underground warren where the world’s plants are filed away grain by grain. Through viewing windows you can watch seeds cleaned, dried, and sealed for sleep at deep-cold temperatures, while above ground meadows, woods, and water gardens sketch the living counterparts. Part laboratory, part ark, it’s a place where microscopes share a stage with hedgerows and the quiet tick of time.
The charm is its hush and purpose, so move gently and follow staff guidance, as this is a working science space as much as a visitor site. Keep to marked paths, don’t pick flowers or seed heads, skip drones, and respect restricted doors and clean-down points. Check opening hours and tour times, consider a small donation, take only photographs, and let the future-proofing continue undisturbed for the next visitor.
9. Bosham – the “Venice of England”
Why it’s unusual: A tidal village whose quayside road predictably floods, turning lanes into mirrors at high tide.
At high tide, the quayside lanes of Bosham shine like mirrors and boats bob within arm’s reach of flint cottages, hence the playful comparison to Venice. It’s a village for slow strolling: art galleries tucked into old buildings, a handsome church with deep roots and watery light that turns everything painterly.
The tide is part of the charm and the logistics: the quayside road floods predictably, so check times before you park or wander too far along the edge. Come for golden hour, stay for seafood, and watch the sky melt into the harbour.
10. Lake Wood near Uckfield
Why it’s unusual: Hidden sandstone cliffs and caves creating cinematic reflections just steps from suburbia.
Tucked behind suburban edges, Lake Wood opens suddenly into sandstone cliffs, shady paths and mirror‑still water. Strange rock formations and small caves lend a moody, cinematic feel, especially on misty mornings when the tree line dissolves and reflections double the drama.
After rain, the trails can be slick, so grippy footwear is wise. Take care near drops and damp rock, and give yourself time to ramble slowly around the shore. Every bend seems to reveal another ledge, arch or root‑tangled staircase back into the trees.
+1. Windmill Hill Windmill, Herstmonceux
Why it’s unusual: It's Sussex’s tallest post mill, with its restored gears and sweeps brought to life on select open days.
Sussex’s tallest post mill rises above the fields at Windmill Hill, its white sweeps sometimes turning against a big sky. Inside, a beautifully restored lattice of timbers and gears reveals how grain once became flour, a place where gravity, wind, and ingenuity choreographed into motion.
Open days are limited and guided visits bring the mechanism to life, so check ahead and aim for one of the days when the cap and sails are set. The hilltop can be breezy, so bring a layer and enjoy the wide views that mills were built for.
Where to Stay in Sussex
If you’d like to linger a little longer and keep exploring Sussex’s stranger corners, these stays pair character with cracking locations, making them handy for chalk-down rambles, tidal villages and rewilded safaris.
Gravetye Manor — West Sussex (near East Grinstead)
Why you’ll love it: A historic hotel wrapped in truly exceptional gardens. Meander from fire-lit lounges to orchard-ringed paths, then back for seasonally led dishes that showcase the kitchen garden. Rooms blend old-world comfort with quiet luxury, and the whole place hums with a calm, romantic energy. A dream base for garden lovers, with Ashdown Forest and pretty Wealden villages close by.
Bailiffscourt Hotel & Spa — Climping (near Arundel)
Why you’ll love it: A storybook cluster of “medieval-style” houses set in 30 acres of parkland that runs down to Climping Beach. Expect log fires, a superb barn-style spa with indoor and outdoor pools, and the Tapestry Restaurant serving seasonal, locally minded dishes. It’s also one of the dog-friendly hotels in Sussex, great for bracing shoreline walks, and an easy hop to Arundel’s castle and antique shops.
The Gallivant — Camber Sands, East Sussex
Why you’ll love it: A breezy beachside bolthole tucked behind the dunes of Camber Sands. This small hotel is flip-flop friendly by day—sea swims, dune strolls, Rye just up the road—and softly lit, convivial by night, with good wine and unfussy coastal cooking. Its rooms have a relaxed, sand-off-at-the-door mood, some with terraces for sunset lazing. A great pick if you want simple pleasures done well by the sea.
Ockenden Manor Hotel & Spa — Cuckfield, West Sussex
Why you’ll love it: An Elizabethan manor for dinner-and-drawers charm, paired with a contemporary spa for swims and switch-off. Expect a light-filled pool, saunas and restful treatment rooms with views over fields, while upstairs, creaky corridors lead to characterful bedrooms. It’s a refined yet cosy base within easy reach of the South Downs, vineyards and handsome Mid-Sussex villages, perfect for an effortless escape from London.
Outro: Keep Sussex Strange (In the Best Way)
What makes Sussex special isn’t just the big‑ticket sights, but the quieter oddities that hide in plain sight: a fisherman’s city of flint, a chalk giant glimpsed from a lane, a rewilded thicket alive with birdsong. Choose a couple of places, pack your boots and your curiosity, and give yourself permission to dawdle.
As you go, look after the places you visit: pick up after yourself, tread gently on paths and leave things as you found them. Share the stories, not the secrets, and Sussex will keep rewarding you with moments that feel wonderfully, unmistakably its own.
Before you book, browse Travelmyth’s 60 categories to tailor your stay. Pick the themes you care about (from spa breaks and vineyard hotels to dog-friendly boltholes, beachfront hideaways, historic houses and adults-only retreats) and let Travelmyth surface the accommodation that best fits your specific interests.
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